


Say You Won't Leave Me

by hopelessromanticeri



Category: The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Wicked Powers Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, M/M, Post-Book 3: Queen of Air and Darkness, argh can these two idiots kiss alr, bored in quarantine, cassandraclare, counting down the weeks till twp comes out, first fanfic please don't kill me, first heir, janus wants to give ash the world, kit has enough of jace interfering with his relationship with ty, kit needs to stop getting into trouble, kit thinks ty is beautiful, kit/ty otp, ty has no chill, ty wants to protect kit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:32:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24071431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessromanticeri/pseuds/hopelessromanticeri
Summary: Three years after Kit leaves LA, Ty Blackthorn, now a Centurion, reunites with him during a risky rescue mission in Devon. However, Kit is no longer the boy he remembered. As the two boys try to come to terms with how their relationship has changed, trouble brews. Kit is being hunted down by a ruthless new enemy who would stop at nothing to destroy him, and the aftermath of Livvy's resurrection is coming back to haunt them. Will Ty and Kit be able to defeat those who seek to hurt them, or will they lose each other once again, this time, for good?***Hey everyone, I edited the summary because the previous one doesn't really fit the story anymore. Sorry for any confusion!***
Relationships: Ash/Drusilla Blackthorn, Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Drusilla Blackthorn/Ash Morgenstern, Jem Carstairs/Tessa Gray, Julian Blackthorn/Emma Carstairs, Kit / Ty, Tiberius Blackthorn / Kit Herondale, Tiberius Blackthorn/Kit Rook
Comments: 16
Kudos: 95





	1. "...I love you!"

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic, and I'm still fairly new to the Shadowhunter Chronicle, so I'm sorry for any mistakes and inconsistencies T_T After I read The Dark Artifices I was o b s e s s e d with Kit/Ty and also wanted to explore a lil' bit of Dru/Ash and thus this fanfic was born :))) The plot is inspired by TDA, how I imagined TWP will be like and also by the other lovely fanfics I have read. Not really great at plots but I try my best. Hope you enjoy <3

_ “…I love you!” Desperate blue eyes pleaded with him. Pleading for him to listen, to stop what he was doing. Those three words hit him like a splash of icy cold water, and for a moment, he froze. _

__

_ “I have to.” _

__

_ “I wish I’ve never known you.” _

__

_ “I had to.” _

__

Ty jerked awake with a gasp. For a moment, he saw bright blue eyes, filled with pain, but as he blinked, they disappeared like a vision. “Ty, what’s wrong?” Livvy drifted in front of him. With a sigh, Ty slowly sat up, staring at the inky black sky outside his window. “Just…just a bad dream.” His twin looked at him sadly. It had been three years since Kit left, yet the pain hadn’t dulled. Every time he thought of Kit, he wished that he could have said goodbye one last time. Ty reached for the heron necklace placed on the table beside his bed. He put it around his neck, where it rested with Livvy’s locket on his chest. It was the only thing he had left that reminded him of Kit.  _ Stop.  _ Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ty swung his legs off the bed. “Let’s go, Livvy.”

After getting dressed in the Centurions’ uniform, Ty made his way to the dining hall with the rest of the Centurions. He avoided eye contact with all of them, and they did the same. After grabbing a bowl of oatmeal and two slices of toast, Ty sat down by himself. He pulled out a thick book and began to read. Livvy peered over his shoulder, just as focused as he was.

Ever since he started studying at the Scholomance, he had spent all his time reading whatever he could find about the topic of necromancy. Ty knew he shouldn’t have brought Livvy back. He knew that there would be consequences to his actions. But he knew that even if he could rewind time, he would probably have done the same thing again. He and Livvy were like two halves of a whole. Without his twin, how could he be complete?

As a ghost, Livvy came and went, but she never went too far away. It wasn’t the same as having his sister back healthy and alive, but Ty was glad she was with him. There was only one person who came close to understanding him as she did, alive or dead.

Occasionally, Magnus would come and check on them. Nothing bad had happened so far, but they all knew that didn’t mean it never would. For now, Ty and Livvy could only try their best to keep each other safe.

“Tiberius Blackthorn, please come to my office.” Ty looked up to see the head of the Scholomance, Jia Penhallow, looking down at him. Although she was smiling, Ty could see worry clouding her eyes. He got up cautiously.  _ What could have happened?  _ Ty matched Jia’s brisk pace until they reached a heavy oak door. The guard by the door pushed it open, revealing a spacious room. Ty, Livvy, and the previous Consul quickly entered the office.

When the door groaned shut with a heavy thud, Ty asked. “What’s going on?”

Jia looked at Ty for a long moment. Finally, with a heavy sigh, she spoke.

“There has been a series of disappearances in London. A few months ago, The Consul dispatched a team of Shadowhunters to investigate.” Jia retrieved a yellow envelope from her drawer and pushed it across the desk to Ty. He frowned, staring at it for a moment before taking it. Jia continued, “However, they never returned.” Ty flipped through the papers. He stopped at a photo of a vaguely familiar figure. The person had blonde hair and gold eyes and looked exactly like Jace Herondale. But…why would Jace…Ty looked at the picture more closely. No, this wasn’t Jace. The person in the picture look older, more tired, darker. Which meant…eyes widening in horror, he lifted his head to look at Jia. She nodded grimly. “According to our information, this is Janus—the Jace Herondale of Thule. He arrived in our world three years ago, along with Ash Morgenstern.” Ty turned the page, where a picture of Tessa’s home in Devon was shown.

“Two days ago, the Carstairs were attacked in their home by a hooded figure.”

“Tessa, Jem, and Mina are unharmed, but during the attack, Kit and the attacker suddenly disappeared.” Ty froze.

“Ever since the time Janus arrived, there have been strange occurrences in London. The Clave suspects that Kit’s disappearance has something to do with him.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits:
> 
> 1\. Original sentence: "I love you, Ty, I love you!"
> 
> 2\. Original sentence: "I have to get her back, Kit, I have to."
> 
> 3\. Original sentence: "I wish--I wish I'd never known you--" 
> 
> Taken from 'Queen of Air and Darkness' by Cassandra Clare


	2. "I have to save him, Livvy, I have to."

_ “Mom, Dad!” _

_ “Kit!” _

_ “Hurry!” _

_ “Kit, what are you doing? Kit! No—” _

The last thing he remembered was Tessa and Jem screaming his name, before disappearing in a faint circle of gold light. He caught one final glimpse of his adoptive parents before collapsing to the ground.

Then everything went dark.

When he regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was the cold. The frigid air seeped in through the rips in his clothes, chilling him to the bone. Kit winced as he sat up slowly, blinking his eyes to get used to the darkness. The only source of light was the sunlight coming from a crack above him. He could just barely make out the outlines of the large, oddly smooth rocks in front of him.

Kit reached into his pocket and pulled out his witchlight. He held it, using the bright light to illuminate the area around him.

That was when he saw it.

A dark shadow loomed a few feet in front of him. Kit reached for a seraph blade, only to remember he wasn’t in gear. Cursing, he flipped out his pockets, trying to find a weapon.

_ Too late. _

A tall figure stood in front of him, his face covered by a large black hood. He was holding…

_ A seraph blade _ .

Kit’s fingers closed on a sharp, bejeweled dagger in the inner pocket of his jacket. He looked at it with a faint smile. Jem had given it to him on his sixteenth birthday. Unsheathing the dagger, he held it in his hand, tossing and catching it a few times in his hand.

“Hey, you want a piece of me?” Kit yelled at the unknown Nephilim. The man said nothing.

“Come and get me, then.” Eyes narrowing, Kit leaped gracefully into the air, aiming right for the hooded man’s neck.

__

***

__

“Ty, listen to me—Ty, wait!” Jia’s words fell on death ears. The other Centurions watched with a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and uneasiness as Livvy’s twin stormed past them, a dark look on his face. Her heart ached for him. In his whole life, the only people who were important to Ty were his family. Julian, the brother who loved them and raised them as his own children. Emma, who would beat up anyone who dared to bully him. Mark and Helen, their older half-siblings, who had been cruelly taken away from them before. Dru, and Tavvy, who he would protect with his life. And her, his twin, his other half.

But that was before Kit Herondale came into their lives.

Kit, who had stolen her brother’s heart, and Kit, who was now in danger.

Ty didn’t slow down until he reached his room. Wordlessly, he started throwing things into a duffel bag. Extra gear, weapons, clothes—

“Ty, I know you want to help him—"

“No.” He looked up, steely determination in his eyes. “I have to save him, Livvy, I  _ have _ to.”

Livvy stopped. She looked at her brother sadly.

“You can’t do this alone, Tyty.”

Ty let out a shuddering breath. Livvy watched as he slowly let go of the duffel bag with shaking hands.

“Deep breaths, Ty. In, and out.” After a few seconds, his breathing became steadier.

Livvy hovered in front of him, touching his face with her translucent hands.

“Go back to Jia. She knows what to do.”

“We will get him back, safe, and sound.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits:
> 
> 1\. Original sentence: "I have to get her back, Kit, I have to." Taken from Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare


	3. The descendant of First Heir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note:
> 
> Firstly, thank you to everyone who clicked on this fanfic!   
> I’m not sure if Ty and Magnus already know about Kit’s faerie heritage, but for this fanfic, let’s say they don’t. *inserts embarrassed face* Also I realize that I’ve made Ty a lot more expressive here than in the book, which is kinda out of character for him (oops). In my head, I just keep imagining Ty being pained by Kit leaving, and him missing Kit in his own way.   
> Let me know if there are any other errors :)   
> I hope you enjoy it!

Ty sucked in a deep breath.

For the second time that day, he was back at Jia’s office. He forced himself to breathe as he opened the door. 

Jia turned towards Ty. “Good, Tiberius, you’re back,” Ty said nothing as he entered the office with his head lowered. He didn’t want to see the sympathetic look on her face. 

She was no longer the only one there. Two people turned to look at him as he shut the door behind him. One of them was Anush Joshi, one of the few people he talked to in the Scholomance. As Ty moved to stand beside him, he mouthed, “Are you okay?” Ty nodded stiffly. The other Centurion was Honda Yuki, a petite-looking girl from the Tokyo Insititute. With long black hair, big eyes, and fair skin, she resembled more of a porcelain doll than a warrior. However, looks were deceiving. She was one of the best fighters they had. 

Jia cleared her throat. Anush immediately straightened. Unfurling a map of South England, she said, “Since everyone is here, I will begin the briefing.”

***

“Anush, you and Yuki will be going to Cornwall. So far, Janus hasn’t been spotted there, but he might likely make an appearance soon. We need to be prepared.” 

“Tiberius, you will go to Devon. Magnus will be going as well.” 

“That will be all. You will leave after you get your things.” 

Ty left for Tessa and Jem’s home in Devon almost immediately. The Scholomance had given him only a week to investigate the case with Magnus, although he would have to do most of the work by himself. The High Warlock of Alicante would be occupied with the Spiral Labyrinth, learning as much as possible about Thule. Afterward, regardless of whether Kit was found or not, they would have to return. 

“Here.” As they stood before Jem and Tessa’s door, Magnus had handed him a pair of wireless headphones. Ty looked at him. He winked one black lined eye. “I enchanted them to cancel out all noise. They run on magic, so you don’t have to charge them.”

He hadn’t had to use his headphones since he enrolled at the Scholomance. Still, he took them. “Thank you.” He looked Magnus in the eye as he said those words. The warlock flashed a glittering smile before turning his attention back to the task at hand. Looking serious once more, Magnus knocked on the door. “Jem, Tessa, it’s us.”

Jem opened the door. “Magnus, Tiberius, thank you for coming. Please come in.” He looked sick with worry. It was clear that he hadn’t slept since Kit disappeared. Magnus put his hand on his shoulder. “Of course,” Ty said nothing. When Jem looked at him with sorrowful dark eyes, all he could do was give a single nod. However, Jem seemed to understand. He smiled kindly.

Jem led them into the house. It was a beautiful, vintage-looking, cozy cottage. A home. Ty could see Kit living in it. Laughing, talking to his adoptive parents in the dining room. Playing with his little sister while lying on the carpeted floor. Napping on the couch, his curly blonde hair falling in his blue eyes.

There was so much of Kit in the house that it hurt to look.

“Magnus.” The sound of Tessa’s voice brought Ty back. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Focus. Ty followed Magnus to the living room, where Tessa sat on an ornate chair. She was dressed stylishly in a cable-knit sweater and jeans, gently rocking a sleeping Mina. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Wordlessly, Magnus came up to her and hugged her. “Hush… we’ll find him. He’s a tough boy. We’ll find him.”

Tessa nodded, blinking her tears away. With a determined look on her face, she let Jem hold Mina, before turning back to them. “There’s something you have to know.”

“The attacker said that ‘Ash is the only one who can be heir to the throne.’ ”

Ty frowned. “What does that have to do with Kit?” 

The warlock’s grey-blue eyes were troubled.

“Kit is not just a Herondale. He is a descendant of the First Heir, Auraline, the daughter of King Arawn, and the Seelie Queen.”


	4. “To never being parted.” - Part 1

He never thought that Kit would be in so much danger.

Ty clenched and unclenched his fists as he walked around in the Shadow Market. He had dressed as inconspicuously as possible to avoid attention, but wary eyes followed him wherever he went.  _ I still look like a Shadowhunter.  _

Livvy had appeared beside him after a while. She floated next to him, searching for any clues as well. Tessa had mentioned that Janus most likely got information from someone at the Shadow Market. 

If he and Livvy could find them, they would be able to find Kit. 

However, it was easier said than done. He had been walking around the market for almost three days now. He had been given a week for the mission, but Kit might not have that long. He had to hurry. 

Ty tugged at his inky black hair in frustration. Every second that was ticking by was a second closer to Kit’s demise. 

_ Kit is strong. He will find a way to survive, no matter how difficult it is. _

Ty had no doubt of Kit’s strength. 

But he would not feel better until he saw him. Until he knew that he was okay.

He couldn’t lose Kit too. 

“Ty, look,” Livvy hovered in front of her twin urgently. 

Ty’s eyes flashed. “What is it?” 

Livvy pointed to the direction of a dilapidated store. The wooden exterior of the store was rotting. It looked as if it would collapse at any moment. However, when Ty looked closer, focusing on seeing past the glamour, he realized that he was looking at a picturesque cottage. Vivid blush pink flowers seemed to grow from the walls of the cottage themselves, hanging languidly from green vines. Hiding behind the flowers was a frail, frightened-looking child. At first glance, he looked almost human. Then, as he shifted, his skin turned into an iridescent shade of blue-green.  _ A faerie.  _ The faerie child’s heterochromia eyes met Ty’s, and he startled. In a split second, he was darting away, running into the crowd. 

Ty cursed. 

The sight of so many people in one place made him nauseous. But now wasn’t the time to think about it. He quickly slipped on the headphones that Magnus had given to him and chased after the boy. 

The faerie was small and fast, but Ty was faster. For the first time in three years, he found himself grateful for the harsh physical training he had to endure as a Centurion in addition to all the knowledge he had gleaned. Sprinting into a back alley, Ty made an abrupt turn and cut the boy off before he could escape.

The boy backed up against the wall, terror written on his features. Ty forced himself to look relaxed.  _ There’s no point if he gets scared and won’t tell me anything.  _ “Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” The faerie’s eyes shifted to him, and to Ty’s surprise, he suddenly burst out laughing. Ty turned to Livvy, looking confused. “Did I do something…?” Livvy frowned, shaking her head. She seemed as taken aback as he did. 

“Ahem.” The two siblings turned back around. What greeted him was no longer a scared, scrawny little boy, but a beautiful faerie man. He had bright, almost luminous blue-green skin and a pair of ivory white horns. Soft pink blossoms, identical to the ones Ty had seen in the cottage earlier, grew out of the faerie’s waist-length raven hair. He stared at them, his eyes, one a pale blue, the other a rich, dark brown, both glimmering with mischief. 

“Well, well, well, I must say I underestimated you, Shadowhunter.”

The shock wore off. Ty kept a hand by his weapons belt, ready to whip out his combat knife. The faerie made him feel uneasy, like he knew something they didn’t, and he was mocking them. 

“Come.” The faerie turned to Ty. Seeing his wary look, he grinned, revealing sharp little white teeth. “Don’t look so affronted. It is information you desire, is it not?” 

Ty hesitated. 

“What’s your price?” 

The faerie smiled deviously. “Well, I won’t ask for much.” 


	5. “To never being parted.” - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: 
> 
> This chapter turned out to be really long, so I split it into a few parts to make the length of the chapters more consistent . I had some trouble thinking about how to improve the flow of the story, which is why this chapter took longer to write. I’m hoping to write and upload more chapters in the coming weeks, but unfortunately school is piling on the graded assignments (*cries*) I’ll try to keep posting weekly. 
> 
> Cheers,  
> eri <3

Kit breathed heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead. He crouched behind a large boulder, eyes peeled for any sudden attacks.

He knew that was outmatched by his opponent. Sooner or later, he was going to be overpowered. 

_I can’t die here._

He thought of Tessa and Jem. He had to live long enough to repay his kindness for taking him in. 

He thought of Mina, his little sister, who he adored. 

Then, he thought of _him._

_Gunmetal grey eyes, messy black hair, long, thin fingers._

_Beautiful, beautiful Ty._

Kit missed him. Jem’s words echoed in his head. 

_“Think of the people you love.”_

_“It doesn’t matter if they didn’t love you back, or if they did.”_

_“You keep them here.”_

Gritting his teeth, Kit pulled out his stele and carved Speed, Stealth, and Stamina runes on his forearm. 

There was no way he was going to be killed by a loony with a hood in some stupid hole. 

_Slash._

Kit doved out of the way, narrowly avoiding a cut to his shoulder. The hooded figure showed no sign of tiring, even though they had been fighting for a long time. He blocked a strike to his head, and with a swift, upward blow, he knocked back the Shadowhunter’s hood, revealing a face he knew. Very well. 

“ _Jace?_ ” 

That face could not have belonged to anyone other than Jace Herondale, yet at the same time, Kit could not imagine the Jace he knew as the man in front of him. His face was gaunt and the golden eyes that had always watched over him from afar were completely devoid of the warmth and easy confidence that he knew. 

The moment he uttered Jace’s name, the man’s face twisted. Taking advantage of Kit’s distraction, he kicked out his legs, making him fall painfully on the floor. _Jace would never do that, no matter how angry he was._

“I am _not_ Jace. Don’t compare me to him.” 

_Was he impersonating Jace?_ Kit barely had time to contemplate it as he rolled over, barely missing a forceful swing that nearly hacked a chunk out of his arm. 

“Well, I understand your animosity towards him. After all, he is near perfect isn’t he? Who wouldn’t want to be _the_ Jace Herondale?” 

If possible, the man’s face turned even colder. Kit cried out as he was stabbed in the stomach by a knife. He struggled to breathe, to resist the pain, but he could only gasp painfully as his ribs were crushed under a black boot.

“That _weakling_ does not have a place in this world, and neither do you.” His eyes glinted. “I’ll crush you first, then the Jace that you idolise so much.”

The man’s words made Kit recall a vague memory, an instruction from the Clave. _“...Jace from the alternate dimension, Thule…”_ A realization hit him. 

“You’re...Janus.” 

Janus smiled grimly. “That’s right, descendant of the First Heir.” 

He brought the seraph blade down, preparing to drive it through Kit’s chest. 

Kit felt an electrifying sensation from within his body. Something was swirling angrily within him, demanding to be let out. Just as the blade touched his skin, a sphere of bright blue and green light exploded from his hands. 

Both of them flew backwards. 

Janus hit the floor in a crouch, but Kit wasn’t so lucky. He heard a bone crack as he slammed into a boulder, hard. Janus picked up his seraph blade, golden eyes blazing as he strode towards Kit, ready to kill him. 

Kit willed whatever powers that had come to him before to return, but the light spluttered in his shaking hands, before disappearing all together. Cursing weakly, he willed himself to keep his eyes open, to do something, _anything–_

_Please, don’t let me die yet._

_Thud._

Janus roared in pain. He ripped out something from his arm _–an arrow?_ Crimson blood dripped on the dark floor. Kit heard voices yelling. Weapons flew around him, the screeching sound of metal on metal sounding distorted in his ears. 

Then he saw him.

Wild black hair, pale, defined cheeks, and deep grey eyes. _Beautiful..._

Was he dreaming?

“...T...Ty…?”

The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Ty running towards him, screaming his name. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits:
> 
> Original sentence: “To never being parted,” Kit said, looking across the campfire at Ty.” 
> 
> Original sentence: “Think of the people you love,” said Jem, and Kit startled. “It doesn’t matter if they didn’t love you, or if they did. You keep them here.”
> 
> Taken from Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare and Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link, and Robin Wasseman.


	6. “Glass, twin, apple, whisper,”

“AHH!” Anush screamed as they nearly collided with a sign. Honks and angry shouts echoed as the car veered dangerously back onto the oncoming traffic, causing more than a couple of drivers to slam their emergency breaks. “Yuki, are you trying to kill us?” 

Yuki scowled. “Shut up! I need to focus!” 

“Keep it down.” The two Centurions turned to Ty. His face was stony. Anush and Yuki continued glaring daggers at each other, but they kept their mouths shut. No one wanted to agitate Ty when he looked like that. 

Ty glanced down, his eyes clouded with worry. With a trembling hand, he carefully brushed the golden curls from the damp forehead of the boy lying in his lap. 

Kit’s eyes were squeezed shut, and he was barely moving. Occasionally, a few muttered words would escape from his pale lips, and he would clutch at Ty’s jacket.

All three Centurions had tried drawing  _ iratzes  _ on him, but for some reason, it wasn’t working. Blood continued gushing out of the stab wound in Kit’s stomach, soaking through his clothes to the seats of the car, despite Ty’s best efforts to stem the bleeding. They had barely managed to escape from Janus, with the help of the teleportation talisman the faerie had given him. 

_ “This talisman will bind you to him. All you have to do, Shadowhunter, is to think of him, and you will find him, no matter where he is. You will be able to teleport in and out of Faerie, if the child of Auraline is with you.”  _

“No….” Kit’s head nearly lolled out of his lap, and as gently as he could, Ty eased it back. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispered, stroking his cheek. “We’re almost there.” Kit relaxed a fraction, his fingers loosening. Ty pulled him closer, applying more pressure on the wound.  _ Glass, twin, apple, whisper stars, crystal, shadow, lilt. Cloud, secret, highway, hurricane, mirror, castle, thorns.  _

The car screeched and skidded on the sidewalk, destroying the front porch of Tessa’s house. Hearing the noise, Tessa hurried out of the house, followed by Jem, who was carrying a crying Mina in his arms. Magnus was only a few steps behind. 

Anush cursed under his breath. “Next time, I’ll drive.” 

Yuki shot him a venomous look. “If you have the time to complain, go and help Ty.”

However, Ty was already out of the car. Wordlessly, he slipped one arm around Kit and the other under his knees, cautiously lifting him out of the car. Anush stepped forward, about to help him, but Yuki grabbed his sleeve, shaking her head vehemently. 

What happened next was a complete blur.

“Kit!” Tessa gasped. She ran forward, hurrying towards Ty. Jem held Mina close to him, shielding her from the bloody scene, his face pale and stricken. Magnus was already beside Ty. “Here, give him to me.” The warlock carried Kit as if he weighed nothing. Without another word, he strode back into the house, Tessa hot on his heels.

As he watched Kit disappear into the house, Ty suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe. The world started to spin. 

“Ty?” Livvy reappeared, floating around her twin anxiously. 

His knees gave out, and his eyes shut, plunging him into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credits:
> 
> Original sentence: “Glass, twin, apple, whisper, stars, crystal, shadow, lilt.”
> 
> Original sentence: “Cloud, secret, highway, hurricane, mirror, castle, thorns.” 
> 
> Taken from Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare.


	7. “Stars, crystal, shadow, lilt.”

_ Livvy’s eyes widened as the shard pierced her chest.  _

_ Crimson blood flowed relentlessly out of the wound like a broken dam, seeping through her clothes, her shoes— _

_ It was as if everything stopped, and in that instant, his life lost all its meaning. Ty felt the world crumbling around him. He fell to his knees, clutching at his heart as if the same shard was driven through him.  _

_ He wanted to scream, but his voice came out in a strangled gasp. _

_ “Ty, I–”,  _

_ As she fell to the ground, lifeless, Ty froze.  _

_ Lying in a pool of blood at the dias, eyes filled with tears, was not his sister, but Kit.  _

“Kit!” Ty woke up with a jolt, his heart nearly beating out of his chest. He reached for his combat knife, only to realize that he wasn’t in Alicante, and there was no one bleeding out in front of him. Shaken, he forced himself to breathe, to assess his surroundings. Looking down, Ty found himself on a bed with fresh sheets. They smelled faintly like roses. 

Janus, the mission. Kit, hurt, bleeding. Taking in a shuddering breath, he relaxed a fraction. 

“You’re awake.” He looked up and saw Jem’s kind face peeking through a crack in the door. 

Ty sat up. “How long was I out?” 

“A couple of hours.” Jem entered the room and handed him a cup of warm water. “Take it easy. Yuki and Anush said you haven’t slept in two days.” Ty nodded in thanks, taking a few slow slips. Jem took the cup from him and set it on the table next to him. 

“How...how is he?” Ty’s voice trembled. He cleared his throat, trying to still his shaking fingers. 

Jem smiled, although his dark eyes still held a hint of worry. “He’s alright now. Tessa and Magnus managed to close the wound. He’s just sleeping now.” 

Ty let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Can...can I see him?” 

Jem nodded, a knowing smile on his face. “Go ahead. He’s in the room at the end of the corridor.” 

Ty briefly wondered what the smile meant, but the thought quickly disappeared as he got up, thanked Jem, and left the room. 

He walked down the corridor, looking at the pictures on the wall. There were black-and-white pictures of Tessa with a tall, black-haired man, and two teenagers. Ty remembered that she was once married to Will Herondale. As he walked further down, he saw more pictures. There were a few that were taken recently. Tessa and Jem in front of their house, smiling as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Tessa holding a giggling baby Mina, and Jem playing the violin. He stopped when he saw a photo of Kit playing with baby Mina. His hair was longer than he remembered, a curling mass of gold, that brought out the vivid blue of his eyes. He looked happy. 

Ty felt a wrenching sadness in his heart that he could not explain. 

Was Kit happy when he was with him and Livvy and the others? Or was he relieved to leave, to be free from all of them? 

From  _ him?  _

Ty hesitated at Kit’s door. 

Kit had clung on to him and let him hold him in the car, but he was delirious and on the verge of death. What if Kit didn’t want him here? He had never fully understood the feelings and emotions of others. 

He didn’t want to rile Kit up, and risk aggravating his injury, even though every part of him longed to touch him again. To see his smile, to hear his heart beating against his chest, to tangle his fingers in his silky, golden hair. 

_ Just one look.  _ He promised himself. After that, he would keep his distance, if that was what Kit wanted. 

Taking a deep breath, Ty turned the handle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> Thank you clicking on this fanfic!! Writing a fanfic is a lot more work than I anticipated, but I'm thoroughly loving it. It was difficult to capture Ty's feelings, but it was worth it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading my work as much as I enjoyed writing it! 🤍🤍
> 
> Cheers,   
> eri <3
> 
> Credits:  
> Original sentence: “Glass, twin, apple, whisper, stars, crystal, shadow, lilt.”  
> Taken from Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare.


	8. "The Keeper of keys."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I realized that I accidentally set the rating to 'Mature' (I'm really bad with technology, sorry 😵) so again I apologise for any confusion :) Enjoy!

Kalen knelt before the queen, his long raven hair sweeping the soft dirt of the ground. “My Queen.”

The Seelie Queen raised her languorous, pale blue eyes at the faerie in front of her, gesturing for the attendants brushing her long red hair to leave. “Well?”

“I have done what you have requested.” 

The queen smirked, crossing one fair leg over the other. The dim light peeking through the large leaves behind her throne only made the glint in her eyes seem more malevolent. She threw her head back and laughed, her dark, maniacal peals of laughter echoing in the distance. As if afraid, the faeries sitting around her shrank away from her, except for the Seelie knights standing tall beside her. 

“Those Nephilim, always so full of reckless courage. Admirable, I must say,” she paused, breathless. 

“But so very  _ foolish _ .” 

Pausing, seemingly to catch her breath, she whispered, “Now, my son will have the world in his hands.” 

She turned back to Kalen. 

“Well done. I suppose you deserve your reward.”

With a flick of her wrist, two of the knights standing guard stepped forward, holding up a large bag of gold. 

“Thank y—”

He had barely finished his sentence when the bag was opened, and its contents poured on his head. 

For a moment, there was silence. 

Then, the stifled laughter came.

Kalen smiled as if he was praised instead of mocked.

“Thank you, my queen.” 

Calmly picking up the pieces of gold on the floor, he bowed once again, before leaving the land under the hill. He could hear them until he stepped out of the water. Shaking the water off, he stared at the moon’s silvery reflection in the lake. 

_ One day, I will be the one laughing while you beg for mercy.  _

With that thought, he grinned at his reflection. A cool breeze disturbed the calm surface of the water, distorting the image. 

Tucking one of the pink flowers on his hair back into place, he walked towards the market, back to his booth. 

***

He had been born the son of a nixie and a human prisoner. Shunned by both faeries and the mundane world, he finally escaped to the world of the Shadow Market, where he was taken in by a kind old woman. She had thought he was her long-lost grandson, something he did not try to deny. It was the first time he ever felt any semblance of love. 

What did it matter, even if it was based on a lie?

However, it seemed like he was destined to be unfortunate. 

Shortly after the woman passed away, he was taken back to Faerie, against his will, to be a gatekeeper for one of the entrances. 

It was how he got his name.  _ Kalen, keeper of keys _ . 

He hated the name. The fact that he was given a name based on a duty he was forced upon only made him hate the fae more.

But one day, everyone who ever abandoned him and made use of him would remember that name. 

Talismans have always been his speciality. It was just his luck that the Seelies belittled his ability. 

Everyone had something to lose— the Nephilim, who claim to enact the will of God, and even the haughty Lady of the Court.

But he?

He never had anything. And thus, he had nothing, absolutely nothing to lose. 

He smiled to himself. 

_ “The fun will soon begin.”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note:
> 
> The name Kalen apparently has many meanings, but the one I associated with it is ‘keeper of keys’.   
> To be honest, when I first started thinking about writing this fanfic, all I had was a basic plot and a few characters in mind, but I guess as I wrote more and more ideas just came to me. I think the story of Kalen kind of just came to me as I wrote, and I somehow found a way to weave him into the story. He’ll definitely reappear soon *inserts loud gasps* 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Cheers,  
> eri <3


	9. "The distance between hearts."

Kit’s head was pounding. He never felt more awful in his entire life. Grunting, he slowly pulled himself up, breathing heavily as he leaned back against the headrest of his bed. He had thought he was going to die, but somehow, he was back in his room. The whole ordeal almost seemed like a horrible dream, but the dull, throbbing pain and the thick, white bandages wrapped around his torso suggested otherwise. Images started flooding back in his mind.  _ Janus. Blood, darkness. Ty.  _

_ Ty.  _

He shivered. 

Did he imagine it? Those gunmetal grey eyes, seared in his mind, haunting him, even after all this time apart. He remembered being held in someone’s arms, cool fingers stroking his hair as he clung at them feverishly, and a soft, low voice consoling him, telling him it would be alright. 

_ Was it Ty? _

But it couldn’t be. No, it couldn’t. 

After what had happened, Kit knew it would be foolish to think that Ty cared about him. And yet, he wished more than anything that it was him. He laughed humorlessly, feeling more broken and helpless than he already did. If this was love, he never wanted to fall in love again. 

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear the door opening until someone had entered the room.

For a moment, it was as if time had stopped. 

Kit felt his breath hitch in his throat. Clear grey eyes, steady and unyielding, gazed into his. As he drew closer, the warm glow of the evening sun cast a soft, ethereal light across his pale face, casting hazy shadows across his face. A gentle breeze came in through the half-opened window, causing long, black eyelashes to flutter lightly. Kit watched, his mouth dry, as Ty came to stop by his bed. 

He was taller than Kit remembered. He was still thin, but his training at the Scholomance had made him more built. Kit found his eyes wandering to the corded muscles in Ty’s arms, wondering what it would feel like to run his fingertips over them. Kit flushed, quickly banishing the thought from his head. 

They stared at each other in silence, neither one knowing what to say, until Ty finally spoke up.

“You’re awake. ” He stood self-consciously by the foot of Kit’s bed, then pulled a chair over so he could sit. Kit thought he saw Ty’s fingers trembling, but as he sat down and placed his hands in his lap, the movement ceased. 

“Are you...are you feeling better?”

Dark grey eyes bore into his, filled with concern. Kit flashed his most nonchalant smile, trying to hide the way his heart flipped at the look in Ty’s eyes. “A little holey, but I’ll manage,” he shrugged. Ty smiled, and in that moment, all of Kit’s fears melted away. He found himself grinning despite himself. A hopeless kind of happiness engulfed him– he had literally been through hell and back, yet a single smile from Tiberius Blackthorn was all it took to lift his spirits.

Kit reached out, slowly, cautiously, to touch Ty’s hand. His fingers lightly brushed Ty’s wrist, gently lacing between his long, thin fingers, then stopped. 

_ “I love you, Ty, I love you.” _

The memory, sharp and unrelenting, slapped him back into reality. 

_ What am I doing?  _

The spell was broken. Kit quickly withdrew his hand. Ty stared at his hand, then at Kit, confusion written on his face. 

“I...I’m going to get some water.” 

Ty frowned, already rising to his feet. 

“I can get it for you. You shouldn’t get up.” 

Kit forced a smile. 

“I’m fine. You know me, I can’t stand being cooped up in one place for too long.” 

Ignoring Ty’s protests, Kit swung his legs off the bed, hurrying to the door. 

With his back turned, he didn’t notice the crushed look on the other boy’s face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note:
> 
> *screams* 
> 
> I’m really sorry. I bet all of you are hating me right now. It hurt me too. Kit really thinks that Ty doesn’t love him (dude c’mon). But....it’ll get better in the next chapter. I promise.   
> Once again, thank you so much to everyone who clicked on this fanfic! I’m really touched by all the kudos and lovely comments I received *cries happy tears*
> 
> See you next update!
> 
> Cheers,   
> eri <3


	10. “Tick, tock, tick, tock.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Kit stood, arms folded as he eyed the huge, and still increasing pile of books, spells, maps and magic supplies on the dining table. As he saw the dark circles under Tessa's eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. 

Despite looking exhausted, his adoptive mother’s smile remained as bright as ever. “That’s what we’ll be discussing.” 

Before he could say anything in response, he felt someone tugging at the bottom hem of his jeans. He looked down, smiling when he saw that it was his little sister. She gazed up at him with wide eyes, and Kit momentarily forgot about all his problems. 

“Hey, Min-min,” he said as he scooped her up. Mina shrieked with laughter, tugging at his curls with chubby little hands. He chuckled, gently untangling her fingers from his hair. “That hurts, you know.” 

He turned to put her in her high chair, and as he looked up, he stopped as he saw a tousled-haired Ty walking down the stairs. He was only wearing a loose, soft-looking T-shirt and sweatpants, yet he still looked achingly beautiful.

Kit’s eyes darted to Ty’s pale fingers as he ran his hand through his messy black locks, and suddenly recalled the touch of that very hand on his skin.

It had been three days since Kit woke up and found himself in his bedroom, and saw Ty again for the first time in three years. Since that day, he had been avoiding him. 

Mostly, he had been embarrassed, but the truth was, he was afraid. 

He had opened his heart once, and got it broken. He wasn’t sure if he could survive a second time. Yet, he found himself noticing and loving everything about Ty, from the way his inky black hair fell into his eyes, to the curve of his lips when he smiled. 

It was as if he was born to love Ty, and only Ty.

Flushing, he looked away, but not before his eyes met gunmetal grey ones. 

Ty’s eyes, which were usually clear, swirled with an unreadable emotion. 

Kit felt a chill down his spine. Without realizing it, he took a step back...and tripped over his own foot. Stumbling, Kit barely managed to catch himself, and ended up stubbing his toe against the edge of the dining table. “Fu—” He caught Tessa’s glare and quickly amended his choice of words. “Fudge. I meant fudge, Mom.” He glanced at Mina, who thankfully wasn’t paying any attention. 

“I’m going to get some tea.” Kit mumbled, avoiding Ty’s unwavering stare. 

***

Not for the first time, Ty wished he understood people’s emotions better. 

Kit seemed...upset. He knew it was something he did, but he had no idea what he did or how to make it better. 

Sighing, he instinctively looked for Livvy, but she wasn’t there. Feeling more isolated than ever, Ty sighed. Telling himself to focus on the task at hand, he found an empty spot next to Anush and quietly moved to stand beside him. The Centurion was once again having another argument with his partner. Ty had gotten used to it. He briefly wondered how Yuki and Anush managed to argue about anything and everything every single time they were in the same room together. It was a mystery how they even got things done with their constant bickering. Shaking his head, Ty put on his headphones and focused on the plan at hand. 

He had spent the day before discussing with Tessa, Jem and Magnus about the situation with Janus. They agreed that it was likely that he was working with the Seelie Queen, considering how Ash was involved. He had heard about the half-Shadowhunter, half-faerie prince from Julian, but even his brother did not have much information. 

To make things worse, Magnus had brought up that recently, there had been rumors of the Cohort secretly exchanging information with the faeries of the Seelie Court. The Clave had been expecting an altercation soon. 

Janus had found Kit at Cirenworth once, and there was no saying when their enemies would strike next.

They were running out of time, and options and Ty could only hope that they would make it out alive. 

***

When he returned from the kitchen, everyone was there, even Magnus, who had left the day before to discuss things with Alec and the rest of the Clave. Kit quickly slid into the seat beside Jem. 

Ty stood at the head of the table, looking stern. His gaze swept across everyone in the room, before landing briefly on Kit. It was the first time he had ever seen him so serious and authoritative, and he felt himself gulp. 

“After some discussion with Julian and Emma, we’ve made a decision.” 

Ty’s eyes fell back on Kit. 

“Kit’s coming with me, Yuki and Anush to the Los Angeles Institute.” 


	11. “Unspoken things.”

“What?” The shock in Kit’s eyes was palpable. “You’re kidding, right?” He laughed nervously, scanning the faces of everyone in the room. No one else was laughing. Yuki and Anush avoided his eyes, looking guilty. When his eyes landed on Ty, the realisation sank in. 

Ty watched as Kit’s face turned stony. 

“So, all of you planned to ship me off to Los Angeles, and no one bothered to ask for my opinion?” 

Tessa came to Kit’s side, placing her hands on his shoulders. Her soft grey eyes were pleading. “Please, Kit, that wasn’t our intention. You know it’s not safe for you here.” 

Shaking his head, Kit pushed her hands off and stormed out of the kitchen. A few seconds later, there was a loud slam from the front door. The silence hung in the air like a piece of string that was pulled too tightly, and then everyone started talking at once. 

“Maybe this is the wrong decision. Maybe—”

“No. It’s too dangerous for him here. He nearly  _ died. _ ”

“But what if Janus finds him anyway? The  _ iratzes  _ didn’t work the last time. If this happens again, he’ll—”

It was overwhelming. 

Ty set his notes down on the table as his hands started to flutter like agitated butterflies.

“I’ll go check on him.” 

***

The moment he had left the house, Kit felt a crushing feeling of remorse. He exhaled sharply. He was just so, so  _ frustrated _ . 

_ I’m supposed to be able to protect myself. To protect other people.  _

_ I’m a Shadowhunter, for goodness’ sake.  _

He wasn’t stupid. He knew that he couldn’t face off Janus and the Seelie Queen on his own. 

Right now, he was more of a liability than a warrior. 

And he hated how helpless he was. 

Kit laughed bitterly. 

“Kit?” 

The sound of Ty’s voice made him jump. He turned to see him standing just a few feet in front of him. 

“What?” Kit purposefully avoided looking into his eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” 

His head jerked up. “No, it’s not your fault. I...I just got mad for no reason.” The guilt was starting to gnaw at him. He never wanted to make Ty feel responsible. 

Ty took a few tentative steps forward, closing the distance between them. “You were right to be mad. I should have asked for your thoughts.” 

Kit sighed. The last of his anger fizzled away, replaced by weariness. He lifted his gaze, finally meeting Ty’s eyes. The black-haired boy’s hands were trembling by his sides. Despite his instincts telling him that it was a bad idea, he reached out and carefully wrapped his arms around Ty’s shoulders. 

“I guess I’m just sick of being weak and having to be protected by others.” 

Ty pulled away, studying Kit’s face with unwavering grey eyes. Then, to Kit’s surprise, he smiled a soft, rare smile. 

“We don’t protect you because you’re weak. We choose to protect you because you are precious.” 

Kit’s jaw dropped.

“Ty, you...you...”

Dumbfounded, Ty stared at him. 

“Did I say something wrong?” 

Exhaling sharply, Kit ran his fingers through his hair.

“No, I, uh— never mind. Let’s just go back to—”

Ty started to follow him, only to stop abruptly, his body racking with coughs. Kit spun around, instantly tensing up. “Ty, what’s wrong?” He reached out to touch him, but Ty recoiled immediately, as if he was stung. “No, I’m fine.” 

Kit withdrew his hand slowly, keeping his eyes trained on Ty. He had been perfectly fine during his last few days in Devon, and Shadowhunters rarely come down with a cold. 

He couldn’t help but feel that there was something Ty wasn’t telling him. Something important. 

“Are you feeling sick or anything?”

Whatever it was, Ty gave nothing away. As if nothing had happened, he simply shook his head, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“It’s nothing. We should get back inside before they worry.” 

Before Kit could say anything else, Ty walked back into the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note:
> 
> Hey everyone!
> 
> Firstly, I AM SO SORRY! This update is extremely, extremely late. I’ve been really busy with school lately, and I also had a bit of a writer’s block for this update, which contributed to its delay :( 
> 
> The good news is, my term break is starting next week, which means I get two week of freedom. I’ll try my best to update as much as I can during this period, because once school starts, I might not have the time .
> 
> Again, thank you so much for the kudos and comments !! They mean so much to me *cries happy tears*. 
> 
> Okay, this A/N is getting long haha so I’m gonna end it here. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this update!
> 
> Cheers, 
> 
> eri<3


End file.
